Wayne Rooney's Manchester United happiness now Fergie has gone is good for England says Alan Shearer

Manchester delighted: Rooney's cheerier frame of mind is reflected in his play (Image: Paul Thomas)

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Alan Shearer believes England will reap the benefits of Wayne Rooney falling back in love with Manchester United.

Rooney almost quit champions United in the summer - and former Three Lions skipper Shearer says the rift was down to an irretrievable breakdown in relations between the national team's pied-piper and Sir Alex Ferguson.

But Rooney's body language - hangdog and sullen in the closing overs of Fergie's reign - has been transformed since David Moyes rode out his first transfer window as United manager.

And Shearer, leading goal-scorer the last time England reached the semi-finals of a major tournament at Euro 96, claims the mood swing can be attributed to peace breaking out between striker Rooney and his former Everton manager.

Shearer, who scored 30 goals in 63 caps for his country, reckons the door is still ajar for prospective World Cup strikers to earn a place as Rooney's sidekick in Brazil next summer.

But the Premier League's record goal-scorer says Rooney's workaholic display at the weekend, as United hauled themselves back on to the coat-tails of the title race by beating leaders Arsenal 1-0 , proved there was nothing wrong with his mobility.

In his memoirs , a famously grumpy Scotsman who left Rooney on the bench when United were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid eight months ago, claimed Rooney had "issues" with his fitness, notably in his recovery from injuries.

That doesn't wash, however, with the man who snubbed Ferguson when he joined home-town club Newcastle 17 years ago.

"I said on Match Of The Day at the weekend that I'm always reluctant to praise anyone for hard work alone," said Shearer, speaking in London at the launch of Speedflex - the new circuit-based fitness concept.

"As a footballer, that should be the norm. You get lads who work their socks off for a Sunday morning pub team, so why shouldn't Premier League players do the same?

"But the workrate Rooney put in against Arsenal on Sunday, whether helping out his defence or in midfield or up front, was exceptional. Not only did he work incredibly hard for his team, but he brought the ability with it.

"Fergie said his fitness was going - well, there has been nothing wrong with his fitness on Sunday, or this season, for United.

"For whatever reason, they had fallen out. He didn't like the manager, and the manager didn't like him. Whether Fergie thought he was playing well, badly or whatever, their relationship had gone. And that was the reason (Rooney was unsettled).

"Credit to David Moyes, but I don't think it took a genius to work out that Rooney still had ability.

"You would be amazed how much of a huge difference it makes to a player's confidence, even one with huge ability, when someone puts an arm round him, tells him that he loves him and says he wants him to stay.

"There's a huge difference between that and the body language which says, 'I don't want you, I don't believe in you any more.'

"Rooney is now playing with a spring in his step again, and up front he is first pick for the World Cup, no doubt about that."

(Image: Michael Regan - The FA)

While Rooney, who has never scored at the World Cup finals, is a shoo-in with Shearer, the Geordie legend believes there is still time for outsiders to force their way into Roy Hodgson's plans.

He said: "Welbeck needs to get fit, get in the side and play. His goalscoring record is still better for England than it is with Manchester United.

"Sturridge ended last season in fantastic form and has carried that into this season.

"But in terms of depth, I think we are short. it's not for me to say whether the quality is any better or worse, but there is definitely not as many forwards as we had 10 or 15 years ago.

"I can only make a direct comparison with my time as an England player, when we had Teddy Sheringham, Les Ferdinand, Michael Owen coming through, Robbie Fowler, Matt Le Tissier. Numbers-wise, we do not have as many options now.

"As England manager, you can only work with the tools at your disposal.

"I don't think anyone expects us to go to Brazil and win the World Cup, which will be an advantage because it will give Roy a free shot at it, like he did in the Euros last year. There won't be the feverish level of expectation.

"I don't see us winning the World Cup. Reaching the quarter-finals would be a relative success - and anything beyond that would be a real achievement."

* ?RICKIE LAMBERT'S journey from beetroot factory to Southampton's conveyor belt for English talent should inspire a generation of players never to give up on England, according to Alan Shearer.

Penalty-machine Lambert - 33 successful conversions from the spot in as many attempts - deserves to make the cut in England's World Cup squad, says his most illustrious predecessor on the Saints' front line.

Lambert will join a holy trinity from St Mary's, including Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez, into the friendlies against Chile and Germany with the Premier League's surprise team of the season leading the way in producing England stars.

Shearer said: "I would take Lambert to Brazil. He wouldn't start, but he would be in my squad because he's a goalscorer, his link-up play is very good and, yes, his record from the penalty spot is impressive.

"He deserves his chance because when England were looking, he came up with answers - and he should be rewarded for that. "

Lambert has scored in all four divisions, he is a success story who has scored goals wherever he has played, and he is an example to every player over 28 or 29 that you never give up on an England call-up.

"I had to laugh the other day when I read that Southampton are showing the way forward by producing a crop of England players - because they have been doing it for years.

"From the likes of Danny Wallace, Matt Le Tissier and myself, through to Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lambert, the system at Southampton has been working for years and it's great to see.

"With respect, other English clubs should be focusing on producing England players and, in fairness, I'm sure they want to - but it might be an idea for some of them to sit down with Southampton and see what they are doing right, because they have been doing it right for a long time."